cops, soldiers, image, power, and education - Ajarn Forum

jonny danger · 25th November 2006, 07:58

From reading MoE related comments in these past two months I have the idea some of you learned by rote. One doesn't have to read forums with hopes for a favourable outcome, all you have to do is piece together what you already know about cops, soldiers, image, power and education.

Cops and soldiers do what their superiors tell them, number one rule in the job description. Educators might be free thinkers and political activist at the highest academic levels, but those at the lower tiers just do what they're told. Just about everybody at any level wants a favourable public image and at the same time enjoy the power to enforce their will upon others. It's obvious Tox cared about his image. He certainly devoted a lot of time to it. He certainly had an affinity for power.

Most of us are employed by grunts. Our administrations are made up of those who might wish to be in the big leagues but deep down they know they're not. About the only option for them is to be a soldier and hope for the best, pilfer when they may. In turn they expect you to also be a soldier but pilfer not.

You-know-who and soldiers have run this country for the whole time we've been here and many years before we came. Tox' exile will mean nothing in the future of Thailand except his business prowess will most likely never be replaced by any living military man appointed by his own geniality. A ruling political body always contains the brightest and the dullest. If we had an ideal situation we'd see the brightest at the top .. on down in the shape of a pyramid. We don't see that in The UK nor in the Americas (I don't know shit about the down-unders), why would we expect anything different here in New Siam?

Elected governments are always better IMO. Even if they fail to serve the public at least they can be replaced eventually with the power of the vote. How do you replace a military government .. with the physical laws of ballistics?

The initiative to improve the nation's teacher qualifications can't be a bad idea anywhere in the world, as long as it's sincere. I truly believe in a nation with Thailand's record it is not sincere, it's all about image and how to be your natural corrupt self without losing face by getting caught. Most of us would agree, no?

If those who have been in power for decades wanted and nation of free thinkers they'd already have one. We weren't welcomed here to improve the thought process of Thailand's youth, it was just business. And when the day we all hope for comes - when young Thais learn to think for themselves - we will be a threat . . . if we aren't already.

cocosan · 25th November 2006, 08:07

JD. It is always a pleasure to read your posts. Well put.

panhunger · 25th November 2006, 09:03

Good post...

DunceCap · 25th November 2006, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd

If those who have been in power for decades wanted and nation of free thinkers they'd already have one. We weren't welcomed here to improve the thought process of Thailand's youth, it was just business. And when the day we all hope for comes - when young Thais learn to think for themselves - we will be a threat . . . if we aren't already.

agree 100%

the entrenched will never cede, only pass on the same ol'e, same ol'e

an example: job descriptions.....there are requirements outside of knowledge and experience.

these will for ever keep the New Siam in the Third World

Qwerty2 · 25th November 2006, 09:28

I actually don't think that there is any desire at the top to suppress education, it's just that education in Thailand is primarily a business. So, they want to students to be happy and any learning that goes on is pretty much incidental.

666 · 25th November 2006, 10:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonny danger

From reading MoE related comments in these past two months I have the idea some of you learned by rote. One doesn't have to read forums with hopes for a favourable outcome, all you have to do is piece together what you already know about cops, soldiers, image, power and education.

Cops and soldiers do what their superiors tell them, number one rule in the job description. Educators might be free thinkers and political activist at the highest academic levels, but those at the lower tiers just do what they're told. Just about everybody at any level wants a favourable public image and at the same time enjoy the power to enforce their will upon others. It's obvious Tox cared about his image. He certainly devoted a lot of time to it. He certainly had an affinity for power.

Most of us are employed by grunts. Our administrations are made up of those who might wish to be in the big leagues but deep down they know they're not. About the only option for them is to be a soldier and hope for the best, pilfer when they may. In turn they expect you to also be a soldier but pilfer not.

You-know-who and soldiers have run this country for the whole time we've been here and many years before we came. Tox' exile will mean nothing in the future of Thailand except his business prowess will most likely never be replaced by any living military man appointed by his own geniality. A ruling political body always contains the brightest and the dullest. If we had an ideal situation we'd see the brightest at the top .. on down in the shape of a pyramid. We don't see that in The UK nor in the Americas (I don't know shit about the down-unders), why would we expect anything different here in New Siam?

Elected governments are always better IMO. Even if they fail to serve the public at least they can be replaced eventually with the power of the vote. How do you replace a military government .. with the physical laws of ballistics?

The initiative to improve the nation's teacher qualifications can't be a bad idea anywhere in the world, as long as it's sincere. I truly believe in a nation with Thailand's record it is not sincere, it's all about image and how to be your natural corrupt self without losing face by getting caught. Most of us would agree, no?

If those who have been in power for decades wanted and nation of free thinkers they'd already have one. We weren't welcomed here to improve the thought process of Thailand's youth, it was just business. And when the day we all hope for comes - when young Thais learn to think for themselves - we will be a threat . . . if we aren't already.

Good points.

russellsimpson · 25th November 2006, 10:06

Really can't be put any more lucidly than that Jonny.

Spot on the money.

Matthew · 25th November 2006, 13:43

Great read.

Thanks for posting JD.

jonny danger · 25th November 2006, 14:19

Thanx ya'll. Shit, where's the opposition? I ready for battle!

Sanuk Canuk · 25th November 2006, 14:38

Not that I don't want to jump on the kudos wagon here but I wonder if the OP is on target. Is it not also possible that the current military government, the failure of recent civil governments and the problems with corruption might be a result of poor education rather than the cause of it? A democracy is not a simple form of government to manage and it requires that the citizens be aware and informed so that they can direct government policy with their actions and ballots. If the people are not sophisticated enough to resist corruption rather than try their best to benefit from it then maybe they are not ready for a democracy.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the military may not be the cause of the poor education, it may be that poor education (which allows the corruption), resulted in the coup. I don't think that it should be presumed that the military wants the masses to remain illiterate so that they are easier to control. While I don't doubt that the generals are getting wealthy from their position, I would also guess that they are nationalist enough to want all of Thailand to prosper.

peelieorion · 25th November 2006, 14:42

I actually don't think that there is any desire at the top to suppress education, it's just that education in Thailand is primarily a business. So, they want to students to be happy and any learning that goes on is pretty much incidental.

If you got 20 of the drunkest Thais, put them in a room and asked them to come up with a curriculum for Thailand to help students learn, you'd get the Thai curriculum, they give the students no opporunity to think because they don't want them to think. Textbooks are too hard, students are allowed to answer questions with one word, everyone copies and no-one fails. The supression comes by not making standards, by not giving teachers the tools for he job and shocking training. J.D 100% agree.

robitusson · 25th November 2006, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonny danger

If those who have been in power for decades wanted and nation of free thinkers they'd already have one. We weren't welcomed here to improve the thought process of Thailand's youth, it was just business.

Umbuku · 25th November 2006, 15:13

Your mirror is not seen through darkly jd.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonny danger

where's the opposition

I think you forgot a full stop there somewhere.

jonny danger · 25th November 2006, 15:13

Canuk: Sure, why not?

There are many variables but if you compare spending of the national treasure in all it's areas, what percentage goes to the education workforce, or research, or the maintenance of the infrastructure? Most civilized countries are at about 4 to 6% are they not? Your own nation is high is it not, Canuk? Just over 5%?

A teacher-student goes to Rajabhat - the most likely choice - to study for five years to get a gig at 6000B a month. Her new place of employment usually looks good from the outside but it's wanting on the inside. If it doesn't fit this model it's private and it's expensive and the new Thai teacher is most likely at about the same rate of pay as in a lowly school. The image of her being accepted at such a school makes her low wage seem more digestible. If they eventually give her a title and a 160-Baht-per-month raise, she'll be over-joyed. She is in the service of you-know-who. That's all she wants.

When I was at Surattani School I figured the student tuition per student population; what the farang teachers were paid; secretaries; staffers; copy paper; electricity; every thing I could think of. The rector was earning about 1,500,000 a year from each of we 12 farang. In the 18 months I was there he never improved a thing, still the broken desks, the white boards still two years past due a resurfacing. The one time he did spend it, it was on plants and exterior repaints with a Burmese workforce.

My boss at that school lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, had a Thai masters in education, made 10,000 a month less than a handsome 25 year old farang teacher they hired.

Rajabhat has the power to add a few classes in deductive learning, psychology and all they lack. They have to power to fail a student who doesn't produce, to offer a better wage to outstanding and highly educated staffers. But they don't.

DunceCap · 25th November 2006, 15:47

I guess when it comes to books, Thais are good cooks.